Hi. I've got new tires (see first post), but now my Savage just developed a problem:  you know that feeling you get when your tank is empty and you have to switch to reserve?  The bike starts bucking and hesitating.  Well, mine is doing that more and more, even with a full tank.

I first noticed this the day after I filled my tank.  I filled up on the way home and had no problems, but the next morning, my bike was hesitating for a good 10-15 minutes and then seemed to stop.  It seemed to not do it on the way home or the next couple of times I used it.  

I took it in for a full tune-up (changed oil, spark, air filter).  It felt fine on the way home. But then I filled up again the next day on the way to work and had the same problem: it did not happen right away, but after work, I bucked and hesitated all the way home.

I looked inside my tank and saw nothing, but then I noticed a very small piece of something in there, so maybe that got sucked into a tube.

I called the mechanic who did the tune-up, and he said my carb looked fine.  It did not do the hesitating for him.  I called another mechanic who said I might have filled my tank too high.  So I siphoned out some gas.  It seemed to be fine.  But then it did it again with the tank at about the half-full, so I am really stumped.  It does it whether I'm on Reserve or ON.

The only other thing worth mentioning is that I have put in lower octane gas the last few fills (prices here in Ontario are insanely high – over one dollar a litre, which I believe works out to $4.50/gallon, and it gets much higher with the high-octane stuff, which I had been using, but thought was perhaps a waste of money.

This is getting really long.  Any suggestions?

Thanks.

Check your battery connections. An intermittent connection will give similar symptons. Happened to me.

Jim

i had pretty much the same symptoms.  My carb was a little screwy, so my bike was running rich.  It was causing the plug to get black and foul.  I replaced the plug, and it would work fine for a day or two, then would foul again.

I fixed the carb and replaced the plug.  Been fine since.

Just making a guess, but I doubt the mechanic tuned (rejetted for "ideal" afr) the carb, though he may have cleaned it out.  So if you had a rich condition before, you would still have a rich condition now, turning your plug black.  Have you ever rejetted it?  If not it is probably running lean from the factory, but maybe you're at altitude...

Another thing that can cause a black plug and hesitation is a faulty solenoid or solenoid wire.  I had to replace mine, but it's a '97.

Hi,

Keep those suggestions coming!

I guess I should tell you that I am not a huge mechanic.  I'm afraid to look at my plug because it involves taking off the gas tank.  I doubt the mechanic who did my tune-up will remember what colour my plug was, but I can ask...

As for backfiring, I have the usual problem of backfiring while decelerating, but have not noticed it corresponding to this hesitation problem. But now that you mention it, I forgot to say that my bike has been stalling, too, unless I keep giving it gas.

Thanks,

Blue-J

Sometimes the vent in the gas cap plugs up and causes a vacumn lock. It's an easy enough job to take it apart and clean it. Luck

This may sound wierd but leave the choke on with the first click or notch as you pull it outwards and see if the "kickin and a bucking" stops. For some wierd reason my freinds bike rides fine like that but once it is put back to the "normal" or spot where it is supposed to be after the bike is warmed up, it does the what we have called the  "KICKEN' AND A BUCKIN' and backfiring like crazy. It is really hilarious too see but I woldn't want to ride it myself though!

One way to tell if the gas cap vents are plugged is to take off the cap when it starts running bad & then put it back on. If it improves, the vents are plugged. I've never cleaned them before, but I looked & there's 2 pin holes on the bottom of the cap next to the 2 screws. May be just a matter of taking that part off to clean it, if that's what it needs. I used to have to take the cap off my old Dodge at 1/2 tank & put it back on or it would quit running before it ran out of gas. The vents prevent too much vacuum in the tank so the gas can flow. Best of luck with the bike!  8)